As US & Ukraine agree on ‘core terms’, here are 3 red lines Zelenskyy can’t simply cross

Even as Ukraine and the United States have reached an understanding over “core terms” to end the Russia-Ukraine war, there are still at least three sticking points that could break the deal. These points are based around Ukraine’s longstanding red lines about any deal to end the war.

In a post on X, Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said that the two sides have “a common understanding on the core terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva” but stressed that talks were ongoing and lots of work remained to be done.

Umerov said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet US President Donald Trump later this month “to complete final steps and make a deal”. But with just five days left in the month and White House indicating that Trump would not grant a meeting until Zelenskyy’s approval of the deal, the timeline looks unlikely.

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We appreciate the productive and constructive meetings held in Geneva between the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations, as well as President Trump’s steadfast efforts to end the war.

Our delegations reached a common understanding on the core terms of the agreement discussed in…

— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) November 25, 2025

The final steps that Umerov mentioned are apparently biggest sticking points that have so far not been addressed.

In the original 28-point plan, Trump had essentially told Ukraine to surrender in the war and give up its sovereignty. The plan sought Ukraine to give up entire eastern region of Donbas in exchange of no solid security guarantee, put a cap on its military’s size, limit the military’s equipment, make Russia an official language and remove the ban on a pro-Russia church, and ban foreign troops on Ukraine’s soil, and ban Nato membership.

In addition to victory in the war, Russia would have got its assets unfrozen, trade with the United States, investments from the United States, and a return to G-7.

Three sticking points that threaten Ukraine war deal

A Ukrainian source aware of the matter told CNN that progress has been made between the United States and Ukraine on the wording of a new draft proposal to end the war, but “substantive” differences remain and no final text has been agreed.

The source said that a “consensus” has been reached on most points, but there are at least three sticking points where the two sides are still quite apart.

In the first case, no agreement has been reached on the contentious issue of Ukraine’s territory. Previously, Zelenskyy has shown openness freeze the battlefield along current battle lines but Trump told Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region — including vast, fortified tracts comprising the industrial and mining heartland of the country in Donetsk province.

“It would be very wrong to say we have now the version that is accepted by Ukraine,” the source told CNN.

ALSO READ: With Russia’s terms to Ukraine, Putin seeks surrender — not a peace deal

In the second case, no agreement has been reached about Trump’s diktat to cap Ukraine’s military at 600,000 — a condition right out of Treaty of Versailles imposed on Germany after the World War I.

There have been reports that Ukraine has been hoping to reach a middle ground where the cap could be raised to 800,000, with relaxations on weapons and other equipment the military would be allowed to keep.

In the third case, no agreement has bene reached about Ukraine’s permanently giving up the right to join Nato.

The source told CNN that the demand to permanently ban Ukraine’s Nato membership was unacceptable.

Such a concession would set a “bad precedent” that would effectively give Russia a veto on Nato’s affairs “which it is not even a member of”, the source said.